In Script Speak, a beat is an instruction in the script to leave a short pause, generally no more than the space of a breath, after a line or gag. Used either to indicate 'thinking time' or to let it sink in to increase the impact of the subsequent reaction. For the actor, it indicates a change in thought process. Occasionally it will come just before the punch line, as a "here it comes" signal to the audience.

Examples:

Konata: Okay, you know how you're so clingy? Would you still be like that if I were a boy? * beat* Soujirou: ...Of course!

In Sky Girls, there is a beat when Otoha accidentally knocks in the flimsy dividing wall between the male and female outdoor springs. Hilarity Ensues:

Otoha: All right! Let's do our best! *(stands up and pumps arms dramatically, striking down the dividing wall) * beat* *male cast and female cast stare at each other*''

In Akame ga kill after the ex-general Najenda comes to prevent the execution of one of her comrades on a flying beast.

Esdeath: Hmph, the empire's traitor. It's been a while so why not chat a bit? * beat* ...In the torture chamber.

Kyon from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, in his usual snarky way, will usually break a potential beat with a thought of his own. This doesn't happen when he encounters something he can't explain, like accidentally walking in on a Mikuru clothes-changing session.

Also, Taniguchi walking in on Kyon and Yuki in a suggestive position after the fight against Ryoko.

In the Axis Powers Hetalia movie, England and France stumble upon a digital map of ongoing/successful invasions. England absent mindedly reaches out to touch the UK and a pop up appears, a voice (the narrator) reading it aloud.

Narrator: Britain, a former pirate, but now a rather effeminate yet gentlemanly empire with a plethora of rain. France is a long time acquaintance he's often found bickering with for bickering's sake. However, in their heart of hearts they love each other.

*beat* Sexually. England and France: Uh... Where the hell did they get that? * Proceed to fight until aliens burst in and break them up* Cue dramatic music!

Yuki: At this juncture, I will attempt to communicate something to you, though I am uncertain as to the accuracy of the transmission. Words remain a weak vector for communicating vital information. Despite the lack of adherence to social norms and the correct protocols for this procedure, I am attempting to convey to you the positive emotive content of my current condition and regards for you. The outcome is uncertain; no accurate prediction can be made. Regardless of the fact that determination is unclear, I have resolved to continue due to the content of the emotive concept I wish to relay. Despite the fact that I have no comparable metric, I am currently unable to conceive a greater intensity than the one I experience at this moment in relation to you.

*beat*Yuki: I attempted to use more words. It appears that the data was not conveyed accurately. Kyon: C...can you try it again with less, maybe? Yuki: Yes. I like you. A lot.

Buzz Lightyear: I just want you to know that even though you tried to terminate me, revenge is not an idea we promote on my planet. Woody: Oh (beat) Well that's good. Buzz Lightyear: ...But we're not on my planet — are we?(beat)Woody:Uhhh...No.

Surprisingly used in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs... with a character who can't speak. After swallowing a bar of soap, Dopey starts to hiccup out bubbles. Despite this, he doesn't notice he swallowed it, and continues searching, until a few seconds of silence let him figure out where it ended up. The silence passes, and then he hiccups nonstop for the rest of the scene.

Bubba Ho Tep has a very noticeable beat when Elvis attempts to banish Bubba using the chant from the book of souls.

Elvis: You nasty thing from beyond the dead, no matter what you think or do, good things will never come to you. And if evil is your black design, you can bet the goodness of the Light Ones... (Beat as Elvis begins to realize what he's reading) ...Will kick your bad behind? * Beat* Elvis:For chrissake!* Beat* Elvis:*To the heavens* That's it? That's the chant against evil from the "Book of Souls"? Oh yeah, right, boss. And what kind of decoder ring comes with that, man? Shit, it don't even rhyme well!

He scowled from behind the invisible wall. "Why do you feel you have to antagonize me, servant of evil?" A beat. "Actually, Slippery John sort of answered his own question, there."

In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, there's the Island of Darkness. They rescue the Lord Rhoop, who tells the crew of the Dawn Treader that the island was a place where dreams came true. The crew thinks this is a grand thing, despite the ominous darkness. Rhoop repeats himself, telling everyone to think about it. In 30 seconds, the crew comes to an unspoken agreement and turns the boat around faster than they'd ever done it before.

In the Discworld novel Thud!, the teetotaling vampire Sally lampshades this by stating, "And I don't drink significant pause wine."

Aeryn: So you're... (she trails off)John: What? Aeryn: Afraid. (there's a long pause) Of commitment. (Scene change to later)D'Argo: Hey wait a minute - did she hesitate like that, or was that just you doing that now? John: What does it matter? D'Argo: Well it matters because, if she hesitated like that, she knows you were talking about her. (Scene change to Aeryn and Chiana) Chiana: You said what? Aeryn: What I said. Chiana: Like you said? Aeryn: What does it matter? Chiana: (with an exasperated sigh) Well if you said it to him like you said it when you said it to me, then it means that he knows that you know.

Ben Bailey: An alternative to permanent tattoos, what plant dye, popular in India, is used for temporary body art? Contestant: I know this! Ben Bailey: You do? Contestant:Hentai! Ben Bailey: ... (aside glance)Ben Bailey: ... The correct answer was henna.

Battlestar Galactica uses this trope to no end, but one example stands out: in the pilot miniseries, Adama calls Col. Tigh out on flipping over a table while completely hammered, inciting a fight between him and Starbuck. Tigh unsuccessfully defends his position.

Adama: Well, you did flip over the table first. Tigh: I did not! (beat) Unless I did.

Seinfeld uses them regularly, often because the studio audience won't stop laughing.

Jerry: She's talking about her panties so uh, I said 'You mean the panties your mother laid out for you?" * beat* George: "You mean the panties your mother laid out for you?" What does that mean?!

Stargate SG-1 has a truly epic Beat that lasts a full twelve seconds in its 100th Episode, Wormhole X-Treme. The actress who portrays Stacy Monroe corners the director and creative consultant of the show, and asks them that age-old "phasing" problem. It's one of the funniest moments in the whole episode:

Monroe: So if I can walk through walls, how come I don't fall through the floor? (12-second beat)Martin: We'll have to get back to you on that.

The conclusion to the Den-O arc of Kamen Rider Decade. Long story short: Kuuga sees two Imagin fighting, proclaims that he knows who the enemy is, and proceeds to Rider Kick that Imagin...but he attacks Momotaros, the heroic Imagin, not the actual enemy, the Alligator Imagin. Decade, who was supposed to punch out Alligator, abruptly stops mid-punch to berate Kuuga on his mistake. Does that convince you of a lull in the battle? No? Then how about, during the whole fiasco, Kuuga was dangling in mid-air, his feet lodged against Momo's neck!

This is actually written into combos for Fighting Games. Here, the Beat (generally written as a "!" or "-") is used to either allow the opponent to fall into a more advantageous position, or to let the combo meter reset. In both cases, it counts as a delay in the combo due to the player's lack of action, but the same combo as the opponent is generally incapable of acting.

"This was an execution. Whoever did this was sending a message. A message for anyone that would dare snitch on these criminals. It would appear that poor Two-Shoes Lou really did put his foot... (Beat) In his mouth."

Mass Effect 2 has this with a romance between Garrus and Female Shepard

Garrus: I'd wait, if you're okay with it. Disrupt the crew as little as possible...and take that last chance to find some calm just before the storm. You know me, I always like to savor the last shot before popping the heatsink. Shepard: ...(with a small grin on her face) Garrus: ... Garrus:Wait, that metaphor just went somewhere horrible.

The iDOLM@STER 2 - Whenever Miki mentions Ritsuko's name, there's a beat before she adds the honorific -san at the end of her name.

Miki: Ritsuko... san and the others coached me to at least say my greatings correctly.

That happens even when she's having a heated discussion with Touma after her unit beats the RGKM the first time.

Jak 3: Wastelander has a great one when the precursors are finally revealed for the first time

Precursor: We are unhappy with your performance. If you had been a true hero, you would have stopped Errol by now! (The Precursors are revealed to be fuzzy little rats, AKA, Ottsels, or what Daxter has been for the entire series)* Everyone stares at each other* * Veger's staff falls to the ground* Jak: Oh my God.

In Chapter 15 of Ghost Trick, one puzzle requires you to swap a bullet in with a wool hat after it's fired. After you perform the required action and unstop time, the game lets the scene hang there for a moment, so you can realize the implications of what you just did. If you did the puzzle wrong and swapped in a metal hard hat instead, the feeling of "that was clearly not the correct action" is very effective.

Also common in Code Ment. It's usually followed or caused by Lelouch saying something insanelyNon Sequitur. Which is often. It's also subverted when Lelouch reacts INSTANTLY to well-nigh ridiculous situations that would normally require a beat to comprehend with something even more ridiculous.

Lelouch/One is in a cave with a recuperating (and naked) C.C. when Kallen walks in. Kallen: WHAT THE HELL!? Lelouch/One: PLEASEGODNO. Now, wait, Kallen, calm down! C.C. Listen, don't get the wrong idea— Kallen:(hisses)C.C.: Did that bitch just hiss at me? Kallen: WHATCHU GONNA DO ABOUT IT? Lelouch/One: Kallen, KALLEN. Let's get one thing straight, here... (Beat)Lelouch/One:I WAS GIVIN' HER THE SEX!!!

NC: Wow. So, what year is this? NC of the future: The future! NC: Okay, but...why am I downstairs in the basement? NC of the future: Oh, it's the only place we can hide to stay away from the seahorses. NC: Oh, oh, okay. (beat) NC:What.

A very short one in Red vs. Blue during the Curb-Stomp Battle of Tex vs. Everyone, when Tucker jumps away at the very last moment when Caboose drops a shipping container on him and Tex while the two are fighting.

Tucker:I can't believe that worked!Tucker:Oh fuck, that didn't work!

Common in Shiny Objects Videos. An Earnest Discussion is probably the best example—it runs on this trope.

Amanda Waller: Finding Batman's genetic material wasn't hard. (Cut to a shot of Batman being bandaged by a paramedic while she collects a sample of his blood off the ground) He left it all over town. (beat while Terry gives her a look)Not even remotely what I meant.

In The Simpsons episode "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk," the new owners of the nuclear power plant assess Homer's usefulness. It goes about as well as you'd expect.

German Boss 1: You have been safety inspector for two years. What initiatives have you spearheaded in that time? Homer: Uh... All of them? German Boss 1: I see... Then you must have some good ideas for the future as well? Homer: I sure do! * Long beat* (bosses glance at each other)German Boss 2: Such... as?

Hosting his show on Halloween in a vampire costume:

Krusty: Tonight I'm going to suck... (beat) your blood.

After Chief Wiggum, Eddie and Lou see Maggie driving by in a car:

Wiggum: Aww, would you look at that, a baby driving a car. (beat) And look, there's a dog driving a bus.

Doofenshmirtz: The lighthouse is gone and there's nothing you can do about it! So you might as well run back to Major Monogram and tell him you lost this one! * beat* * Perry walks out the door* Background Singers: PEEEEERRRRRRRRY!

Futurama: Used quite a few times through out the series, but most notably after the show returned to Comedy Central:

Farnsworth: Yes, it's almost like a... Comedy Central channel! And we're on it now! * beat* Amy: I get it!

General Crozier: You're being paid to gather all the information you can with this camera, so no fguitar riffking around, got that, candynose? (beat)Dr. Rockso:I DO COCAI— General Crozier:Yes, yes, I know.

In an interview, actress Tea Leoni mentioned that she first thought "Beat" must be some sort of slang, because it showed up often in her scripts, and thus said it out loud. This was soon corrected.

During his final decade working for CBS; legendary NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall often read promotions for the CBS Sunday night lineup (from 1984-93; it was 60 Minutes; Murder, She Wrote and a movie) in which he would read the Murder, She Wrote listing as "Murder...She Wrote"; complete with pause.

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